EV Company Looking to Make a Big Splash with 'Flying' Ferries
It looks like at least one EV company is moving beyond making on-the-road vehicles.
Instead, it is selling electric boats that appear to be flying.
Candela, a startup firm based out of Stockholm, Sweden, has developed an entire line of these watercraft.
Candela has been selling its C-8 models, which are 28-foot leisure boats, since August 2021. In June, the company unveiled its passenger ferries, which are expected to go into production in 2023.
When talking about EVs, cars tend to come to mind. But there are other types of transportation that are important to the electric revolution. Which is why we’ve partnered with electric boat manufacturer @CandelaBoat as a battery supplier. Learn more here: https://t.co/08umadd9AB pic.twitter.com/QR6C9SodcB
— Polestar (@PolestarCars) August 23, 2022
In a city like Stockholm, there is certainly a demand for such devices.
According to CNN Business, Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, is an archipelago made up of 14 islands.
In order to get around, many of the city’s inhabitants use boats; all in all, roughly 756,000 boats used for leisure are currently active in the Swedish private sector.
Candela founder and CEO Gustav Hasselskog credits Elon Musk’s Tesla as having an influence on his company’s vision.
“What Tesla did was to add a lot of style to electric cars. We want to make a very attractive product because that’s going to drive the move towards sustainability in a much faster way,” Hasselskog said, according to CNN Business.
Hasselskog’s boats appear to be flying, thanks to a wing-like structure attached to the bottom of them.
The Candela C8 is an all-electric hydrofoil boat that emerges from the water for a virtually silent ride pic.twitter.com/HbiNgKpsrm
— CNET (@CNET) July 9, 2022
These devices are called hydrofoils.
According to Britannica, hydrofoils are underwater wing-like fins that, as a boat increases speed, lift the boat above the water.
This drastically reduces the drag created by the hull of the boat moving through the water, creating higher speeds without the need for more horsepower.
Candela may have some stiff competition in the coming years.
In September, Musk revealed that Tesla was planning to create an “ecological paradise” near the company’s Gigafactory in Texas.
“Long-term goal is a boardwalk with amenities that goes all the way to downtown Austin, so you can walk, bike or kayak,” Musk wrote.
“Maybe little electric Tesla boats with a retro-futuristic Victorian design.”
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
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